As an apolitical, non-expert ( no fan of Kejriwal either ) I pen my observations from a management perspective here :

Arvind Kejriwal’s Aam Aadmi Party ( AAP ) has scored a landslide victory in Delhi reducing the two major parties to napoo dispensation(s). BJP’s halcyon days have been cut short. Once the ‘ belle vue ‘ of the parties, Congress has been decimated to be ‘ hors de sujet ‘ . AAP’s valuation has risen by an astounding 240 %. From a tally of 28 out of 70 in Dec 2013 to a tally of 67 out of 70 now, AAP seems to have floated the biggest IPO ever in the political history of India in State elections.

” The first pancake you bake will be a failure ” is an age old Russian adage. Kejriwal’s first pancake in 2013 misfired, despite support from the Grand Old Party of India but now he has succeeded under his (AAP’s) own steam.

1. Several reasons have been adduced for the APP’s victory.Significantly missing from most reports so far is the key factor that I call ” the fresh political campaign perspective ” rooted in the new standards of campaign adopted by the AAP. Conditions of running a political campaign have been in a constant change since the announcement of the elections. Kejriwal’s ” Act I ” was to use the ‘digital platform’ in his campaign. It is plain, simple knowledge that digital information becomes old by the time the same news appears in print. It, nevertheless, gives a quick feedback with fresh ideas from the viewers that can well be used to formulate new strategies with a change in the course when needed. It also has the potential to shape the perspectives, views, opinions and expectations of the people. In today’s world people are willing to change their minds swiftly according to their enlightening experiences and needs of the situation. Information pouring from campaign platforms mold their opinions fast. Arvind Kejriwal’s “Act I” using the digital platform brought the attention of the youth to a common center. He had succeeded in his first move.

2. He complemented this move with a new standard of treating the people with dignity and projecting the image of serving the good. Kejriwal integrated his free Wi-Fi offer with integrity, forethought, discipline and confidence just as ‘android’ is getting integrated with (not just tablets and smartphones) cars, watches, thermostats and other gadgets. It is a ‘power grab’ play that Kejriwal won in a canter. If the temperature of the economy picks up in the months ahead, it will not be impossible and people will be in for a great blessing.

3. Our people are by and large a chatty bunch and digression from their critical needs is imperative. Kejriwal has been able to achieve this with a clear focus on a ‘ Total Positive Campaign ‘ without the rituals of rhetoric in play as opposed to the rhapsody of many others throughout the period. In doing so, while many others ‘talked it out’, he ‘thought it out’. Staying humble and trusting his instincts – as borne out by the statement of his own teammate, Kumar Viswas, that Kejriwal’s internal focus may not be visible, but very strong – he proved that there is value in this in politics today. It is more of image making. People created a bonding in true spirit and practice this time with Kejriwal, the ” people person “. Leery with the pace of growth in the last year or so, people also responded with new hope and optimism. This is the crux of his campaign.

In a nutshell, Kejriwal has possibly disrupted the status quo by relating to people, listening to others, understanding their problems & struggles, building awareness and support for decisions. He has seized the attention of the people.

If the rise of common class is good for business (a key market segment for them in today’s context), the same seems to hold true in Politics too. Kejriwal has portrayed it clearly.

Building an exceptional culture in his party in the days to come will only give him the lasting edge over his rivals in future.

” Dieu avec nous “

Wednesday, February 11, 2015 – 10. 59 p.m. ( IST )

Tidbit : ” Every five years, our people are filled with zeal to save the country from each other.”

We all live in a dog-eat-dog world operating in the name of Competition and accelerated pace of Development mired in the pleasantly deceptive words/deeds of those ready to work the oracle OR the openly hostile and aggressive goons ready to be the myrmidons acting without fear or pity for money. Self concern is the sole aim and pursuit. Failing to strive or counter the measures/operations of this species which loom large in every sector of the human endeavor ( not sparing even health, education and justice ) is the greatest threat to our society. If you can superate, you’ll prosper. If you can’t you are on a hiding to nothing.

Just think of the scenarios we witness each day in some place or the other :

– Snooling and crawling constitute the norms in business and entrepreneurship;

– Quackery and prestidigitation take center stage in health and medicine;

What then is the plight of the average citizen and how can they be classified ? According to me, three categories of people can be modeled : First, those who can superate and swim with the tide and prosper well. Second, those who can not and fall far short in such skills and face doom. The Third category is the most interesting : these are the ones who know what is needed and hold the potential to effect it and yet fail to set their faces against injustice out of fear. A major part of the so called middle class comprise these individuals.

Some in the third category with aspirations to grow adopt the practical tact of shifting to a place where the associated evils are less in force and power. ( it is purely a decision making process with a clear focus ).

Some, even when they hold on to their ‘native heath’ manage with adequate support and guidance. ( it is purely a relationship development tactic and a conviction in the process of mentoring ).

Some languish trying to paddle their own canoe(s) even while possessing an abundance of talent. This group constitutes a good chunk of our society. To me, this group essentially constitutes the main timbre around which all other little timbres take shelter in our economy.

The irony of it all is that this is the one category which holds the greatest promise of ‘ creativity and innovation ‘ in every sector of our economy. National Growth depends upon tapping these individuals. All they need is the ” freedom without limiting their boundaries ” and total non-interference in putting their ideas to action. At times they tend to mark their peculiar quality of eccentricism, dissent, unconventionality, chaos, clamoring, and even offending. it will be surprising to know that some of these qualities kindle ‘ innovation ‘. Their worth in the society cannot be quantified and the chief attribute that separates them from others is their ‘ penchant for perfection ‘ at every stage in their tasks – nano, micro, macro, ultra, or super ultra. Unfortunately, they lay themselves upon to dismissal standing in their own light in the society easily like a tame cat or a willing horse. Society is also too willing to ignore and look down their noses even with the full knowledge that they are the ‘ least cost – high benefit crowning jewels ‘ of the society.

I have attended a host of national conventions where speaker after speaker lamented the lack of talent identification as the causal factor for stunted growth when in reality failure to inspire, promote and show the individuals their pace constituted in equal measure to the overall failure.

Time was when the norm in education was for students in India to apply to the Universities abroad to further their academic credentials spending hours and days in resource collection and awaiting responses for a week or even more. Toilsome efforts of students in the 1970s and 1980s stand testimony of this fact. 1990s changed all that and the students found the foreign universities putting shop in India offering admissions here instantly making the process easier. The by-word “loan” used to be lipped by prospective students and parents equally heralding a new life to the word and to the various sectors of the retail/growth sector economy that today has grown to be the Frankenstein tormenting the monetary system. Students, nevertheless, found themselves in high feather and the universities benefited from heterogeneity of culture and practices. Quality education and quality performance is the lynchpin in higher education specially.

Rules of the game change in every other sector too. No longer is it (and should it be too !) necessary for the job seekers to queue up for meeting the job givers. Job givers can (and should) also prospect the job seekers in today’s world. Excellence and quality of performance alone shall constitute the sole criteria for recognition.

Technology, networking, and social settings now enable a well aligned group to implement things as readily and swiftly as could be uttered in words. ” Easier said than done ” has a changed connotation now. ‘ Easier said and Done ‘ is the in thing.

Change in skills is the catalyst effecting all these.

” Dieu avec nous “

Friday, February 6, 2015 – 10. 29 p.m. (IST)

Tidbit : ” Education of a man is never completed until he dies ” – Robert E Lee.